A mixed bag from the Writer's Institute - a great reconnection with April Eberhart and as always a treat to visit with Laurie Scheer, but the ball did not go out of the park on the pitches.
         The conference attendance was up again this year, by about 40 or 50 if what I heard is true. Heard several stimulating ideas, listened to a wonderful story crafted by Ann Garvin (and bought her book even though it's not my genre at all), made what I hope will be two or three longer-term connections with other authors.
         I had hoped to make more of a splash in the pitching room. I was pretty down for a few hours on Friday but now that I'm home I find myself stoked up and ready to apply more heat. One works and works to get something to catch fire and after a while it's hard to get excited about more smoky embers. C'mon, flame dammit!
        OK, I've descended to curse words (little ones). Time to get back to writing fiction where that's OK.

       Working to have all the ducks in a row for the UW Midwest Writer's Institute starting tomorrow evening. I will pitch Lane Shefter Bishop on Friday and April Eberhardt on Saturday. Giving each of them the same pitch will not work - at least not equally well. Always hard to know how much one's pitch is about the project and how much about the person on the other side of the table?
       I meant to  blog twice this week  . . . The best laid plans . . .

          I mentioned in a previous blog that I expect Laurie Scheer’s latest book, “the Writer’s Advantage” to be most useful as I prepare to pitch my various projects. With the Midwest Writer’s Institute now only about three weeks away, I am focused on exactly that – honing my pitch for “Andy." (the TV series)
           I’ll be brief – it is a blog post after all.
           One step in the process is to identify the quintessential text within the genre of your work. “Andy” is sci-fi, and more specifically robots and/or androids raising the question, “Why can’t I be human?” Of course “Star Trek, the Next Generation” deals with that in the character of Data (Brent Spiner’s role). Some readers have said they are reminded of the Cylons from "Battlestar Galactica" when they imagine an android indistinguishable from a human.
          In the world of feature films, the quintessential texts are “Westworld,” “A.I.” and “I, Robot.” A little less directly related are “Blade Runner,” “The Stepford Wives,” “Terminator” and “Bicentennial Man.”
           In nearly all of those, the android/robot poses a threat to mankind – “robots run amok,” perhaps as a theme. “Bicentennial Man” stands out as the exception. The Robin Williams character is funny (duh!) but what’s unique about the story is that his goal is to just be the best person he can be.
           So as I prepare to pitch “Andy,” I am readying myself for the question, “How is ‘Andy’ like the other texts within its genre – and what about your story makes it unique?” My time is well spent, I think, making sure my answer is well thought out and carefully crafted.    

          I've been announcing progress on the second episode of the "Andy" series and as of a few weeks ago, I mounted that story on Wattpad. Unfortunately, an author gets but one title on the Favourite's List - and that already is the pilot. Being on the list has helped the first story garner almost 20,000 reads but "Send a Boy . . ." is having slower going - only at 500+ in several weeks.
          That said, here's a link to the story.

        I hope 2014 was a good year for you.
        I hope 2015 is even better.
        Optimism is supposed to be the order of the day on New Year's Eve and while I look at my goals and resolutions from previous years and see several that repeat each year unfulfilled, I am optimistic. There's places to go and people to see and I'm looking forward to going there and seeing them.

          This past Saturday (Dec. 6th), I had the pleasure to spend a day with Laurie Scheer as she led a workshop on her newly published book, "The Writer's Advantage." Not only was the material of interest but she worked her usual magic - encouraging, supporting and challenging the writers who attended - yours truly included.
          I have added a blurb on the "Tools" page that links to my brief description of the book and also a link to Laurie's webpage with its descriptions, testimonials, etc. I'll add a link here as well - take whichever route suits you.
          Just a note on my writing progress:  I have finished a rough draft and first polish of "Send a Boy . . ." and happily my writing group will give me feedback in early January. I hope to give the teleplay a second thorough polish and then begin posting the "literary" version of the story on Wattpad shortly thereafter. I will let you know when that latter activity begins.
          I'm supposed to post again before the holidays but if I'm a bad boy (and Santa will know, you see), here's wishing your holidays and the start of your New Year are healthy, happy and peaceful.

          A few weeks ago Wattpad sponsored a competition for sci-fi writers to submit a one-page story with a theme of escape. I created this tale and would like to share it with you. Clicking on the widget below will take you to Wattpad where you can read it.

This was never meant to be a quarterly blog.

That said, there is good news. In the months since I last posted, I have delivered “Andy” to the Wattpad site and in October the Wattpad staff (editors) included my opus on their “Favorites” list.

Within the last few days, the read count passed 10,000. A writer always hopes to “get his stuff out there,” and it has been heartening to have so many people take “Andy” out for a spin.

I am currently working on the second episode, "Send a Boy . . ."  When the teleplay is finished, I intend to rewrite it in "literary" format and mount it on Wattpad as well.

     Working to get my social network and creative sites linked up. I now tweet (occasionally) and have every intention of increasing my activity on Facebook. Hoping my efforts to invite friends and acquaintances to read the serialized version of the "Andy" pilot on Wattpad will increase my number of reads before this weekend when I pitch it at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, OR. 
     If you're reading this, maybe you'll want to go to Wattpad and search for Dirk Walvoord and read the first twelve segments. I will appreciate it.

           Willamette Writers Conference approaches and there’s a flurry of activity here in Evanston. Lots to do, so little time to get it done.

            The pilot for “Andy” is written and been reviewed by my writers’ group. The problem is that with my niece and her partner and baby visiting and then with a week in New Orleans for Eileen’s AATF conference I have neither polished the manuscript nor registered and copyrighted it. That’s up for tomorrow (and I’m half way done with the polish today).

            I have been posting to Wattpad the serialized version of that story (written in literary rather than screenplay format) and while I’ve had pretty good success with posting, I think it is 12 episodes so far, I am not keeping up with reading other Wattpaders’ material nor following them as I should, nor marketing my posts to family, friends and colleagues. Maybe that will happen over the weekend – maybe not ‘til Monday or Tuesday.

            Tried to sign up for a Twitter account the other day and immediately failed to receive the confirmation email that the sign-up screens assured me has been sent. I understand that I should link this Website with my Twitter account and my facebook page and that should happen before I go to Portland (for the Willamette conference).  Departure is Thursday morning, so I will be hard pressed to get all of that done smoothly before then.

            But life is good. The garden is thriving (witness the fact that the field mice have been feasting on my beets) and my wife loves me and I’m still alive. I intend to blog more regularly – but I have intended that in the past.